Image selection for machine control

Abstract

A vegetation index characteristic is assigned to an image of vegetation at a worksite. The vegetation index characteristic is indicative of how a vegetation index value varies across the corresponding image. The image is selected for predictive map generation based upon the vegetation index characteristic. The predictive map is provided to a harvester control system which generates control signals that are applied to controllable subsystems of the harvester, based upon the predictive map and the location of the harvester.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A method of controlling a work machine, comprising:
 receiving a plurality of images of spectral response at a worksite; 
 identifying a set of vegetation index values based on the spectral response; 
 identifying a vegetation index characteristic, corresponding to each image, indicative of how the set of vegetation index metric values varies across the corresponding image; 
 selecting an image, from the plurality of images, based on the vegetation index characteristic; 
 generating, from the selected image, a predictive map; and 
 controlling a controllable subsystem of the work machine based on a location of the work machine and the predictive map. 
 
     
     
       2. The method of  claim 1 , wherein identifying the vegetation index characteristic comprises:
 identifying a magnitude of a range of the vegetation index values, a vegetation index value distribution and a vegetation index value variability metric. 
 
     
     
       3. The method of  claim 2 , wherein selecting an image comprises:
 selecting a set of images, from the plurality of images, based on the vegetation index characteristics corresponding to the images, in the set of images. 
 
     
     
       4. The method of  claim 3 , wherein generating a predictive map further comprises:
 generating a predicted yield map based on the selected set of images. 
 
     
     
       5. The method of  claim 1 , wherein identifying the vegetation index characteristic comprises:
 calculating a set of imagery spectral values in the spectral response for a corresponding image; and 
 identifying a variability of the imagery spectral values across the set of metric values. 
 
     
     
       6. The method of  claim 3 , wherein selecting the set of images comprises:
 selecting the set of images that have vegetation index characteristics that show more variation than the vegetation index characteristics of non-selected images. 
 
     
     
       7. The method of  claim 3 , wherein selecting the set of images comprises:
 selecting the set of images that have vegetation index characteristics that meet a threshold vegetation index characteristic value. 
 
     
     
       8. The method of  claim 4 , wherein selecting the set of images comprises:
 selecting the set of images based on a vegetation distribution represented in the images that inhibits spectral saturation and that reflects a predefined level of plant growth. 
 
     
     
       9. The method of  claim 1 , wherein controlling the controllable subsystem comprises controlling a machine actuator. 
     
     
       10. The method of  claim 1 , wherein controlling the controllable subsystem comprises controlling a propulsion subsystem. 
     
     
       11. The method of  claim 1 , wherein controlling the controllable subsystem comprises controlling a steering subsystem. 
     
     
       12. The method of  claim 1 , wherein controlling the controllable subsystems comprises:
 controlling a crop processing subsystem. 
 
     
     
       13. A work machine, comprising:
 a communication system configured to receive a plurality of images of vegetation at a worksite; 
 a controllable subsystem; 
 an image selector configured to generate a vegetation index characteristic that includes a variability, distribution, and magnitude metric, corresponding to each image, indicative of how a vegetation index value varies across each image, and to select an image based on the vegetation index characteristic; 
 a processor configured to generate a predictive map based on the selected image; and 
 subsystem control logic configured to control the controllable subsystem of the work machine based on a location of the work machine and the predictive map. 
 
     
     
       14. The work machine of  claim 13 , wherein the image selection comprises:
 variability identifier logic configured to identify a set of vegetation index metric values for a corresponding image and identify a variability of the vegetation index characteristic across the set of vegetation index metric values. 
 
     
     
       15. The work machine of  claim 14 , wherein the processor is configured to generate a predictive yield map based on the selected set of images. 
     
     
       16. The work machine of  claim 14 , wherein variability identifier logic is configured to identify a set of leaf area index metric values for a corresponding image and identify a variability of the leaf area metric values across the set of leaf area index metric values. 
     
     
       17. The work machine of  claim 14 , wherein variability identifier logic is configured to identify a set of normalized difference vegetation index metric values for a corresponding image and identify a variability of the normalized difference vegetation index metric value across the set of normalized difference vegetation index metric values. 
     
     
       18. The work machine of  claim 13 , wherein the image selector is configured to select a set of images that have vegetation index characteristics that indicate more vegetation variability than the vegetation index characteristics of non-selected images. 
     
     
       19. The work machine of  claim 13 , wherein the image selector is configured to select a set of images that have vegetation index characteristics that meet a threshold vegetation index characteristic value. 
     
     
       20. An image selection system, comprising:
 a communication system configured to receive a plurality of images of vegetation at a worksite; 
 an image selector configured to generate a vegetative index variability metric, corresponding to each image, indicative of how a vegetation index value varies across each image, and to select an image based on the vegetation index variability metric; and 
 a processor configured to generate at least one predictive map based on the selected images.